The expression comes from the great poet Bjornstjerne Bjornson where he in the poem Siste sang (Last song) describes a battle between a tiger and a horse. The tiger symbolizes the big city (Oslo) while the horse symbolizes the countryside, ie the traditional battle city vs country. Hence Oslo (Kristiania) got the negative nickname Tigerstaden (Tiger City), but as time went on, the name established itself as something positive and familiar, and has become a beloved nickname, without negative associations, in the Capital. Duration: 3.30
